Snapshots
by monkey-in-hell
Summary: Little G/A drabbles
1. Chapter 1

A/N Little drabble / scene. I don't know where this came from, it just kinda popped out (okay, it may have been a combination of a lack of sleep, a caffeine high (why do all cold/flu remedies put caffeine in them?) and an all day Ashes To Ashes marathon).

Snapshot

"What's up with you, sulkyknickers?" he shouted, shutting the door behind him, "You got the decorators in or something?" There'd been a voice, somewhere, at the back of his mind, that reasoned this conversation would not go well. It had begged him, all the way, on his journey up the stairs and into Alex's flat, to tread very carefully. He'd ignored it, of course. She should have been downstairs with him, with the team. They had just closed a big case that very afternoon and, quite frankly, it had all been down to her - not that he was going to admit as much out loud. And she should be there, celebrating with the rest of them and then afterwards, if he was lucky, they could come upstairs and have their own private celebration. But as he wound his way around her sofa to face her he realised he should have listened to that voice or at least have come up with a better greeting.

It'd been Shaz who had pushed him to come up and talk to Alex, whilst the others, Ray especially, had bemoaned that her presence would mar the atmosphere. Though it was common knowledge amongst CID that he and DI Drake had 'something' going on, they tried to be discrete about it, working hard not to let it affect their working relationship (as Alex had put it); he probably over compensated in that last matter, though to be fair, he had beforehand too. He assumed it was this behaviour on his part that had caused her to hide away upstairs; it'd been a particularly trying case, lots of pressure from above and he'd been hard on her, on all of them really, but he and Alex had been at loggerheads from the start of the case.

As Alex looked up to him from her position on the sofa, knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, he realised Shaz had been right: there was something else bothering her, for once it wasn't him. But he hadn't noticed. It was like a sucker punch to the guts. He was shit at relationships, always had been. He had no idea how they'd made it this far, presumably she was a lot more forgiving than he deserved. Or she was even nuttier than he thought she was.

"Gene..." she began with a sigh but went no further than that, choosing instead to avoid his gaze.

He was suddenly very grateful for Shaz's intervention; he'd been torn between going to Alex and staying with the team, between being her lover and being their Guv, and the situation had been new to him. Usually, when she was pissed at him, then he knew about it - she had no qualms in telling him what an idiot he was. He would defend himself, they'd argue further, have a few drinks and then slope off when everyone else was too drunk to either notice or care. If it wasn't for the WPC he'd still be downstairs obstinately standing his ground and getting steadily drunk. "What's wrong, Alex?"

At his soft utterance of her name she raised her gaze back to his, wondering how to answer that, wondering how to tell him. Even after all this time she still found him hard to read, especially when his face defaulted to that stoney pout, but his eyes, those clear blue orbs that were currently studying her very closely, were becoming her way in. And even though he stood a metre away from her, his eyes told her he was right there with her. "They're late."

He stared at her for a beat, completely lost. She did this to him quite a lot, spouting nonsense and expecting him to keep up. He was sure she did it deliberately half the time, using big fancy words when plain and simple would do or just going all cryptic on him. He did a quick mental sweep of their last few conversations but, sadly, could not remember anything helpful. He was just going to have to bite the bullet. "Who are?"

The look of exasperation on her face was one he was becoming familiar with. He briefly wondered if he looked like that at times, because she certainly provoked the same reaction in him.

"The decorators!" She said this sternly, but somehow managed to keep her tone low. It wasn't his fault, she couldn't take this out on him. She'd had more time to think about this and had deliberately not told him anything - it was a bit much to expect him to keep up with her now. If the situation hadn't been quite so serious the change to his features - from utter confusion to complete understanding - would have been comical.

"How...late are they?"

She couldn't read his reaction, his eyes suddenly unable, or unwilling, to meet hers, his face now reverting to that stoney pout - the shutters had gone down. She wasn't sure what she wanted to see there or even what she herself wanted, for that matter. Three months ago it would have been so much easier. But three months ago there was no chance that this could have happened. Everything was different now, everything had changed whether she'd wanted it to or not. She willed his gaze to look back at her and was disappointed when it didn't. She knew then that she wanted this and that she wanted him to want it too. "A week," she answered finally.

He stared intently at his feet, unsure of what he'd find if he looked up. Unsure of what he wanted to see when he looked up. She was obviously upset about this; was it just that she might be pregnant or that she might be pregnant with his child? He struggled for the right words, just as he struggled with his own reaction to her surprise news. But he swiftly came to the conclusion that those magic words did not exist - whatever he said it would be the wrong thing.

"They never let me down," Alex said into the thickening silence, the words an attempt to convince herself as much as to get a response from him. And it seemed to do the trick as he finally met her gaze.

There'd been a response on his lips but it disappeared as soon as his eyes met hers. Instead, he took the few steps necessary to reach her and sat down by her side, his arm reaching out around her. He felt a little easier as she leaned her upper body into him, her arm snaking across his chest and holding on tightly. Deciding that this was a good sign he reciprocated, using both arms to embrace her and the - this time - comfortable silence to think about all of this.

She could feel his steady breaths, hear his heart pumping strongly, feel his hands caress her gently, but she never heard his voice. She needed to know, one way or another, but Gene wasn't a man who spoke of his emotions at the drop of a hat. Right then she was content enough to stay in his arms because actions spoke louder than words and he was still here, still with her. She had to give him time to process the information, then they could talk.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Wow - you all wanted more. I really am trying to write something longer but I also hate to disappoint people so here goes.

A/N 2 You know sequels (Ashes To Ashes excluded) usually suck, right? You were warned...

Snapshot Two

There was a magical, comforting rhythm to the beating of his heart. The first time she had felt it beat, had slipped her hand under his jacket and through his shirt, she had felt the blood - the life- pumping underneath, and she had simply been astounded. The second time, trapped in an underground vault and facing a very sticky end, her hand resting on his damp vest, above his heart, she had simply felt alive and had wanted more. The third time... well, the third time apparently _was_ a charm after all. And the third time had, in its seductive and disarming way, led her directly to this moment by cementing her attraction to him, to this life.

Dragging herself away from the steady tune playing against her ear she raised her head off his chest and stared at him, encouraged that he was returning her gaze. Though she could have stayed there all night - and she wasn't sure how long they had been there already but the dull throb of noise from downstairs was still there - she still wanted, needed, to know. Not trusting her voice she raised her eyebrows quizzically.

Gene, roused from his thoughts by her movement, held her gaze for a moment, trying to assess how she felt about this. He wasn't good at reading her, as had been proven earlier, but he was a good copper and like all good coppers he relied on his instincts - and they were telling him she was as unsure of him as he was of her. Turning his head away for a beat, he exhaled the breath he had been holding onto since she had moved from his embrace, before facing her once more. "Bloody hell, Bols."

His voice was soft, almost gentle, and there was a trace of a smile on his lips; she was struck by the thought that, even though it was an archetypal Gene response, it was probably the perfect response. It wasn't a 'sweep her off her feet with joy' response or a 'down on one knee' gesture but it was enough because it wasn't a 'run for the hills' reaction either. That thought made her smile which, in turn, garnered a full smile from him, a silent agreement passing between them and she gave in to the sudden urge to caress his cheek, the gesture, and the feel of his skin under her hand, laden with familiarity. "Are you going to be okay with this?"

He nodded once, managing to do so with more confidence than he felt and it must have worked because she didn't push any further. There was something else though; even if he was rubbish at reading her most of the time, and just baffled by women in general, he had an inkling that she was thinking of her daughter - because he was thinking of all he'd lost too. Taking hold of her hand, he brought it back down to his chest, holding on to it carefully. "Are you?"

Alex gripped his hand tighter, the feeling of his much larger hand reciprocating warming her from within. Was she okay with this? On the one hand she didn't know how long she was going to be here, wasn't sure how long all this would last. When she had realised that there was no way back 'home' for her, she had mourned for her life, for what could have been, for the loss of her daughter. But on the other hand she'd also accepted her fate; she had been given another chance, another life, and it was one she had reached out and grabbed with both hands. And she'd found that when she grabbed at it, it felt real enough. "Yes."

He nodded again, satisfied that, despite her own hesitant answer, she was being truthful. This had been nowhere near planned but then he hadn't exactly planned on falling for his DI - or any other woman - either and, so far, it had been quite an adventure. "You do know that I'll be bloody useless at this, don't you?"

She laughed then, out of amusement or relief, or maybe a mixture of the two. "You'll do," she said softly, noting the smile on his lips as she spoke and she felt sure that he would too. It wouldn't be perfect by a long shot, nothing about their relationship was. She knew Gene was nowhere near a 'new man' but she'd 'been there, done that' and it hadn't all been roses either. He'd be there for her, just as he'd been there for her ever since she'd 'arrived' in this world. And that was enough.

"And I'm not giving up the Quattro."

"Oh, absolutely not," she agreed, "I love that car." And she might, just possibly, maybe, love its owner too.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N So, it turns out I can't seem to actually write anything else other than this. Or stop watching Ashes To Ashes either. This story could potentially run and run, provided no one is actually interested in any kind of plot other than Gene and Alex?

Snapshot Three

It was either sweet or annoying, she couldn't decide which. Maybe it was both because he'd displayed both tendencies before but, right now, she decided as she stormed into his office, it was - he was - just annoying. "You did that deliberately," she slammed the door shut behind her, the resulting noise louder than her voice had been and, hopefully, leaving him in absolutely no doubt of how annoyed she currently was.

Gene looked up cautiously, his eyes first looking past her into the outer office and spying an amused Chris and Ray, amongst others, staring his way. He knew when his eyes finally met hers he wouldn't see any trace of amusement there. "Did what?" he asked innocently, noting that he was right and she most definitely did not look happy. Maybe he was getting better at this 'reading people' thing.

"Left without me!" She placed both hands on his desk, leaning in to glare at him. Definitely annoying, she decided and his playing dumb act was not helping.

He sat back casually in his chair, mostly to avoid the murderous gaze she was giving him but also to reassert his authority. "You weren't there," he said, in his best DCI voice, "Didn't have time to send out a search party."

Alex knew he was bluffing, a few minutes wouldn't have mattered; the first time it had happened she'd given him the benefit of the doubt but not this time, she had to stop this now. She hadn't expected him to go all 'protective' on her; it had always been Gene - sexist comments aside - who had given her the respect her position as DI warranted, it had been Gene who had cut the others down if they dared to question that position. And whilst her heart thought his actions were endearing her mind, and twenty-first century conditioning, screamed otherwise. "You knew where I was," she challenged, leaning further forward and keeping her voice low, "You could have waited." She'd been in the Ladies. Throwing up. Again. Sometimes she wished this world was actually real because, otherwise, her mind really was messed up.

"If you're not fit for duty-"

"Oh no," she cut in, raising her voice, "You are not blaming this on me - this is you! And your outdated ideas about women."

Gene sighed inwardly. They'd had a tip off on a couple of suspects in an armed robbery from last week, one that had turned violent. He didn't want her out there, at risk, not now. He didn't think it was wrong to want to protect her, but he had also known that she would think it was, so he'd been a little underhand about things, about certain cases. "Look," he began slowly, his eyes dropping to avoid hers, and wondering how he could ever convince her that he was right without going into too much detail. Though he could talk to Alex about things that he'd never tell the lads, usually when they were alone and he'd had a few drinks, he'd never bared his soul before, not to her, not to anyone. He glanced up again to continue but his gaze strayed past her and outside once more, only to find half of CID agog, the culprits quickly averting their eyes as soon as he'd spotted them, and he lost his momentum.

"You can't keep doing this, Gene," she said pointedly, as he didn't seem to have any intention of finishing that sentence and though she was curious as to what he was about to say, she let it go. Her words drew his gaze back to her - away from, what she imagined, was an attentive audience - and his face bore that pout, the one she was beginning to find so endearing, but also the one that basically told her nothing. Maybe she should have waited for him to say whatever it was that he had on his mind, whatever it was obviously had no place being said here. A lot of the anger she had entered the room with seemed to disappear then and she decided on a compromise: he was annoyingly sweet. But she wasn't going to let this go on, soon enough she'd have problems just sitting behind her desk, never mind anything else. "I'll be fine," she said gently and he stared at her for a long moment before responding.

"Shall we go talk to the scum we hauled in then, Bols?"

She wasn't expecting an apology, an agreement would have sufficed but she doubted she was going to get that either. All she got was an olive branch, of sorts. But it was one she'd take, for now anyway. She nodded her consent, standing straight once more. After a brief smile he followed suit, moving from behind his desk and circumnavigating it to reach the door. She followed his easy movements with an annoyed glare, one that he pretended to ignore, turning around as she did so and it was only when he had opened the door, barking orders at the rest of the team as he stepped outside, that she allowed herself to smile, one hand sliding to her still flat stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Thank you all for your reviews and feedback. I'm back to monkeying around (work) so updates might take longer...

Snapshot Four

Perched on a stool at the bar she had a good view of all her colleagues, immersed as they were, in their usual corner of Luigi's. Some things never changed, the ritual team piss up to celebrate closing a case being one of them. And some things, well they changed everything, not that she and Gene had sat down and discussed exactly how everything would, inevitably, change. She couldn't decide who was being the cautious one on that matter; they were both hesitantly skirting around the subject. She shoved that thought away as she watched Gene share a few words with Ray, probably about her sitting at the bar by herself sipping ridiculously expensive bottled water or maybe about the little scene from this morning.

She'd not completely forgiven Gene for his little stunt earlier that day but she knew it wouldn't be long before she did; for all his faults, and there were quite a few - she'd made a list once, an analytical mind as always, but had ripped it up and decided to follow her heart, not her head - there was a good man underneath, a man she couldn't - didn't - want to do without. She contemplated that as Gene made his way over to her, watching him closely as he moved, his tall stature and powerful aura daring anyone in the room to question his authority. That she was attracted to that side of him went without saying but it was the other side, the other Gene that she was privileged enough to see glimpses of, that deepened her attraction to him. And it hit her then, hard and brutally: she did love him. No 'possibly', 'perhaps', or 'maybe' about it. Given their circumstances it was probably just as well but it was a shock all the same.

"Luigi! People are dying of thirst over there," Gene said loudly, getting the owner's attention sharply and receiving a withering look in response, as he sat down on the stool next to Alex, who he thought looked rather pale. He hoped she wasn't going to be sick again. Or have another go at him about this morning. "You okay, Bols?"

She took a few moments to draw herself together, to decipher what he'd just said, and to summon up a response; and all she could come up with was a rather startled, "Fine." Given her years of expensive private education and her time at Oxbridge, it was strangely inarticulate of her. Gene seemed to accept it though, giving her a small smile before knocking back some of his whiskey, propping his head up on one hand to stare at her. That last stubborn, and logical, part of her brain tried to convince her once again that this was crazy, that she was crazy, but his eyes bore into hers with such an intensity that it convinced her otherwise. She wanted to tell him of her epiphany right then but she also didn't want to break the moment - and maybe she was also afraid of what his response, if she received one, would be. She didn't know how he felt. She didn't know if he'd ever tell her how he felt. But she did know how he made _her_ feel.

Her view now obscured by him, it didn't prevent the raucous laughter of CID and Luigi's weary voice in response from reaching her, the noise jarring her from her thoughts and his gaze as Gene glanced backwards at the disruption. "You know they're probably talking about us, don't you?" she asked quietly, finally finding her voice but ignoring her earlier instinct, as his gaze settled back on her.

"Yeah," he nodded, his eyes wandering to his drink and thinking back to earlier that afternoon at the station, to the sea of curious faces. Worse than a bunch of women, some of them. Alex had been the one to suggest keeping their news quiet for now and he'd quickly agreed, for various reasons. He didn't want anyone knowing, not yet anyway; not until he knew where they stood because once the truth came out there'd be endless questions that he either didn't have the answers to or was wary of admitting. Because he was falling ever deeper and in real danger of, as Ray would say, 'going soft' and he didn't want anyone else knowing. He was having enough trouble admitting as much to Alex.

Alex watched him closely, he seemed so distracted that she half expected him to 'wake up' and ask what he'd just agreed to. "And we can't keep this quiet forever," she pursued, trying to catch his gaze, which seemed firmly locked on his glass.

"No," he agreed, eventually. Everything was going to change; before she'd come into his life his biggest worry had been the inevitable upheaval the force was facing and just how long he had before the axe finally fell on him. But she had changed everything, had re-ignited the fire in him and not just as a copper. She made him want things that he thought were long out of his reach. "Though some of them are so bloody useless you could give birth at the station and they still wouldn't have a clue," he half grumbled, meeting her gaze to find her smiling and he couldn't help but smile a little himself.

She leant in closer to him, "I think Shaz already knows." Though the others would probably just make jokes or wild accusations about her jaunts to the toilets and sudden sobriety, Shaz would put two and two together and get the right answer. And maybe she was paranoid but she thought Luigi had an inkling too, the way his eyes had twinkled as he'd poured her drink tonight.

Gene looked backwards once more, finding the WPC ensconced with Chris at a corner table, oblivious not just to him and Alex but to everyone else and though she seemed the picture of Essex girl ignorance, Gene figured Alex was right; Shaz, at times, had more brains than half of his team. And she'd already proven she was the most observant of them, himself included. Once Shaz told Chris there'd be no stopping it. "Let's keep them guessing a bit longer," he suggested, unable to tell her why but finding agreement in her eyes anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Thanks for the reviews and feedback; a couple have mentioned the 'M' word (and it's not for monkey) and I was getting towards that. Honest. It was on my list, right next to alcohol. Bananas... I mean bananas.

A/N 2 Work is... Well, work (a time consuming behemoth that both annoys and amuses in equal measures but mostly just distracts me) - so, again, no promises on speedy updates. Sorry.

Snapshot Five

He let himself into the flat as quietly as possible, pleased with his actions when he found her lying prone on the couch, sound asleep. She was still wearing the same clothes from that afternoon so he figured she must have been too tired to even make it to the bedroom. Or she'd tried to fight it - as she had him when he'd suggested she was no use to the team if she couldn't stay awake and to go home (and Shaz did know, given the dirty looks she had thrown him afterwards; apparently rank couldn't outdo bloody women) - and had lost. He stood above her, watching silently. She didn't look pregnant, not to his inexperienced eye anyway. He'd had weeks to get used to the idea and whilst he did think of her as pregnant - and had acted accordingly (or not as Alex had seemed to think) - he hadn't allowed himself to think about the future, about being a father.

He sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch, his eyes on her face. She might not look pregnant but he thought she looked beautiful. And not half as infuriating when she was asleep. He _was_ going soft, he had to admit it; even Luigi had felt the need to point it out - again - not five minutes ago. He thought about reaching out and lightly tracing one finger down her exposed cheek, knowing how soft the skin would feel beneath his fingertips, but he didn't want to wake her. Instead he settled for wondering, once more, how the hell this had happened; how he had fallen for this woman, how she had turned his world around, how she somehow seemed to want him.

Alex stirred from her slumber with a start; she'd forgotten how tiring the first few months were and, despite her grumblings about being excluded from the team, sometimes she barely had the energy to sit at her desk. She was still waiting for the inevitable 'I told you so' from Gene on that one. She could smell him now, that mix of aftershave, cigarettes, and what he had termed, 'man stink' but what she had come to know as uniquely him. She knew when she opened her eyes he'd be there and she wasn't disappointed to find him so close to hand. "Hi," she whispered, a smile playing on her lips at the sight of him gazing at her so openly.

"Hi," he replied softly, unable to hide the fact he had been caught staring at her. "Feeling better?"

"Yes," she smiled, sitting up carefully and noting that she did actually feel much better; not that she was going to admit he was right to order her home that afternoon.

Gene watched her manoeuvre herself into position in front of him and he had the strongest urge to just blurt out everything; her eyes met his and the words were on his lips but then she smiled again and they were gone . "Hungry?" he asked, convincing himself that he was merely easing his way into telling her rather than trying to avoid it completely. "We could go downstairs?"

She could hear the dull murmur from below and briefly wondered how long she'd been asleep. She didn't feel hungry, she didn't feel sick either which she was eternally thankful for. No doubt the rest of CID were downstairs, probably celebrating the fact the day had a 'Y' in it and whilst she normally would have been there with them she just didn't feel up to it, or to hearing any comments about her behaviour today; she really couldn't pass this off as a virus for much longer. "You go," she replied eventually.

He thought about the scene he had left down at Luigi's; Ray and Chris would be playing with matches about now, there'd be more drinking, some very poor Italian jokes, more drinking, and then possibly some singing out of tune. Whilst he had enjoyed such company previously it had greatly improved with the arrival of Alex Drake - in his opinion anyway. "I'm not really hungry either."

"You don't have to stay," she said, smiling softly and watching him closely. She didn't want to push him away but she didn't want him to feel he _had_ to be here if he didn't want to be. This had all happened so unexpectedly and it seemed at times that they were both just dancing around the obvious, waiting for the other to take the first step - or mistep. And though she wanted to tell him how she felt, how he made her feel, she still held back because she just couldn't be sure of what he wanted. "We're not married Gene, we don't even -"

"We could," he interrupted quickly, her smile fading as he spoke and he didn't know if it was because he had butted in or because of what he had said. Or both. "If you wanted to," he added on quickly.

For a moment or two she was completely thrown and she was sure the surprise was written across her face. She played the words back in her head again, making certain she had understood what he had asked. Had he asked? She scrutinised him closely but his face was blank and his eyes suddenly seemed unable to meet her own. "Are you proposing to me, Mr. Hunt?"

"Maybe," he replied, his eyes flickering up to hers. Was he? It'd just come out but now that it had he knew he meant it. He never thought he'd get married again as it hadn't really worked out so well the first time, in fact he'd completely screwed that one up; of course he never admitted that much out loud, he always blamed the job - but he wouldn't be able to do that with Alex. He had no idea what was going through her head right then, which wasn't unusual for him, but she was staring at him so curiously and it was making him nervous. And he already felt quite nervous about her answer. "Would you say 'yes'?" he probed softly.

She folded her arms across her knees and leant forward towards him, his eyes now blazing into hers. If he had asked her all those weeks ago, when she had first told him, she'd have thought that he was doing 'the honourable thing' but he hadn't. If he had asked her outright, down on one knee, eyes meeting her own, she'd have thought the same thing, but he hadn't. Unable to say the words, unable to meet her gaze, the uncertainty and hope now showing on his face - he meant this and, coming from him, it was akin to standing on his desk and admitting his feelings to the entire station. Whilst that realisation burned within her it only made this much more difficult. She loved him, she really did, and they were going to be parents. But marriage... The only vows she'd made in that respect were to never go there again. But, at the same time, she found herself wanting to say 'yes'. "Maybe."

"What?" he asked, relieved that the answer hadn't been a resounding 'no' but confused at the answer as it hadn't been the reverse either. Had it? Only she could make this so much more bloody complicated than it needed to be. "Is that a 'yes', then?"

"It's... a maybe."

"Is this some feminist bollocks or just you being a fruitcake?"

He looked so bewildered then and possibly hurt, though the latter disappeared as quickly as it had emerged. She had to tell him, no matter how crazy this sounded to her logical mind, but first she gave into an urge that had been building since she had woken; leaning further forward, her legs slotting between his, she held onto his knees with both hands and, levering herself up a little, she kissed him, long and hard, and with everything she had. Eventually pulling back she moved one hand to his cheek, her thumb gently caressing the skin underneath and she gave into that other urge, the one that had played on her mind since it had crashed so forcefully in there not so long ago. "I love you, Gene," she said softly, receiving a small, almost stunned, smile from him.

"Course you do, Bols - no woman can resist the charms of the Gene Genie."

She smiled at his words and the sudden confidence that laced through them; if it hadn't taken him so long to respond she might have just bought his feigned indifference to her confession. She didn't need to hear the words back; one day she might be granted that privilege but for now she was content to just have him and the promise of a future together. "And one day, I just might marry you."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Okay, a little different this time. Josiris mentioned in a review (way back, I know) seeing the others' reactions; I hadn't really considered that but I guess the suggestion stuck as this chapter just kind of invited itself in. So, it's not 'exactly' Gene and Alex...

Snapshot Six

Ray Carling stubbed out the remains of his cigarette with more force than was necessary - he liked to use excessive force in almost all circumstances - as he blew out the last resulting, and rather long, stream of smoke. He shook his head after completing those tasks and leant closer to his companions sat at the table with him: "I knew it'd happen."

Chris Skelton, ever so slightly distracted by the foot currently snaking its way up his leg, first glanced at the owner of the aforementioned apendage - going for warning but unable to locate it, instead ending up somewhere between startled and excited - and then to his superior officer, his thoughts now very much elsewhere, but duty - off the clock or not - was reminding him to pay attention. "What?"

With an annoyed jab in the direction of his DCI and DI, sat together at a small table and seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything else in Luigi's, Ray scowled at the younger man. "Said she'd wrap him round her little finger," he explained, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He thought the Guv was smarter than that.

"Jealous, Ray?" Shaz Granger asked with a smile, wanting to add on to that question, 'Of the Guv or of Alex?'. But she didn't; DS Carling, as well as being her superior officer, was a touch sensitive about some things - she'd felt his thinly veiled annoyance at her own burgeoning relationship with Chris. No, Ray Carling did not like losing his friends, especially to women. And judging from the look he was currently throwing at her she figured she'd been right to say no more. She slid her foot from Chris' body, no longer comfortable with the sergeant's eyes on her. She wished they'd found a smaller table or Ray had found some poor woman to chat up.

"As if I'd have anything to do with her. Mad as a hatter, that one."

Chris, his head clearing a little as his body felt the loss of Shaz's ministrations, tried to catch up on - and take part in - the conversation. Unfortunately, he only had the last part to go on. "You've said loads of times that you wouldn't mind -" he stopped mid sentence as Ray's eyes fell on him, silently ordering him to shut up.

Shaz was tempted to press Chris further on that but, she actually had a good idea of what he'd been about to say. She glanced at the older couple in the corner, at the source of Ray's bad mood. Sat next to each other, mirroring each others positions, they appeared deep in conversation and even she, right then, couldn't tell that anything was different; they could have been discussing the intricacies of their most recent solved case or something more personal - the romantic in her pictured it being the latter. On their retreat her eyes caught sight of the half empty bottle of fizzy water at their table and Shaz smiled to herself at, in her eyes anyway, the further confirmation of her suspicions and the fact that the rest of her colleagues seemed completely oblivious. If she was right it wouldn't be long before everyone knew anyway - it wasn't the kind of secret you could keep forever and DI Drake wouldn't be able to squeeze into those jeans for much longer. The first time those two had snuck off together only herself and Chris had still remained at Luigi's - and Chris, as well as facing the wrong way, had been quite drunk. Not a word had been said the next morning and she had remained silent too; she admired DI Drake a great deal and she respected, and was maybe just a little bit afraid of, DCI Hunt. So she'd acted as surprised as everyone else when they'd been a little more obvious the next time, knowing that the - behind the Guv's back - comments about one night stands were far off the mark. "I think they're sweet."

Ray almost choked on his pint at the WPC's comment. "There's nothing 'sweet' about the Guv," he said, slamming his glass down on the table, just a little too hard, to emphasise his point. Sometimes he longed for the good old days back in Manchester when Chris wasn't constantly distracted by _her _and the Guv had a wife who never seemed to mind that her husband spent all his time either at work or down the pub. The only distraction back then had been Sam Tyler but at least he wasn't as bad as a bloody woman; he'd been close, mind, the big Jessie.

Chris cleared his throat, feeling the need to intervene but entirely unsure of how to do so; out of the corner of his eye he could see Ray looking fairly annoyed and he thought about appeasing the older man. However, a glance at Shaz showed a similar glare and he felt torn between the two people once again. They both seemed to be waiting for his own opinion on the subject and he obviously couldn't please both. He looked at his boss, and lady boss, wondering what all the fuss was about. As far as he was concerned nothing had changed. When they were on a job the Guv wasn't any different, he didn't treat DI Drake - or anyone else for that matter - any different to how he had previously. Outside of work he hadn't noticed any changes either. That was probably why, Ray aside, no one else was particularly worried about the Guv. In fact, now that he actually thought about it, the only thing that had changed had been the DI herself but he couldn't put his finger on how she had changed.

"Men are not sweet," Ray continued, as it seemed Chris wasn't actually going to say anything, which was probably for the best, "Unless they're puffs." He took another swig from his glass, looking at Shaz, "And the Guv is not a puff. He's a real man. He drives fast cars, drinks pints and shags birds."

"Is DI Drake not drinking?" Chris said, finally putting his finger on exactly what was different and blurting it out, hoping to end Ray's rant. It was Shaz who looked at him then, Ray twisting his neck to confirm what was being alleged, and Chris was unsure if she was happy or annoyed at what he had said. It could have been either, could have been both.

"Can't hold her drink," Ray scoffed, "She was in the bogs the other week throwing up."

Shaz was in the process of rolling her eyes at Ray's first, typically sexist, comment but stopped with his, more enlightening, second. She hadn't realised that Ray was aware of that fact - and her mind conjured up various reasons as to how he could possibly know, none of which were flattering to the DS. But, for all of Ray's faults, she knew he would eventually make the same connection she had.

"It's a virus, isn't it?" Chris asked, trying to defend the Inspector, "Probably on those anti-wotsits and not allowed to drink." He received a definite smile from Shazza on that one and it was worth the glare that he was ignoring from Ray.

"She's had it bad, poor thing," Shaz said, agreeing with Chris and wondering how best to reward him for his efforts. Despite Ray's comments men could be sweet - Chris sometimes pulled it off quite admirably.

Ray scowled slightly at the couple who were currently giving each other adoring looks. Bloody women. "That's her excuse for everything lately, isn't it?" he groused, gaining his table companion's attentions once more, "And she's got the Guv wrapped that far around her little finger that he can't see it."

"See what?" Chris asked, feeling, once again, compelled to do so.

"Well, it wouldn't go on this long, would it?" Ray explained, daring either of them to step in and defend the woman in question once more. "Anyone else would get a bollocking for all the time she's taken off and -" Ray stopped abruptly, a thought creeping into his head. It couldn't possibly be true, could it? Chris was looking at him blankly but Shaz - well, she looked as if she knew what he was thinking, she looked as if she knew too. When she quickly averted her eyes he knew he was right. On both counts. "Oh no."

"What?" Chris asked, perplexed. Ray had gone quite pale and very quiet, and Shaz was staring intently at the top of the table. "What?" he asked again, but neither seemed willing to answer.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Probably taking complete liberties with the medical stuff but it's fiction, right? Thanks for all the reviews 'n' stuff - much appreciated.

Snapshot Seven

"Makes it seem real, doesn't it?" she probed softly into the comfortable silence that currently lay between them; he was watching her with an easy gaze, his head propped up on one hand - a stance she was mirroring. She'd wanted to talk to him about this morning's events as soon as they'd left the hospital but she hadn't had the chance to until now. They'd literally just got back to the car when Shaz had radioed in to say Ray and Chris had pulled in a suspect (giving them more responsibility did sometimes pay off) and they'd headed straight back to the station, Gene in full 'Guv' mode.

He considered her, and her words, carefully, knowing that the longer he took to respond, the more likely she was to get the wrong impression. "Yeah," he agreed with a small smile, and a feeling that his answer probably wouldn't suffice - he had let Alex think she had talked him into going when he had always intended to be there, why he couldn't just admit that to her, he wasn't sure. Just as he couldn't tell her now. The truth was, the whole experience had left him with a vast array of feelings; he'd had a vague idea of what to expect but he hadn't been prepared for the wave of emotions that had washed over him when he'd seen the image of their baby. Emotions that seemed excessive as, to be fair, he had been basically looking at a little, fuzzy grey blob.

She wanted to reach out to him right then, to hold the hand that was resting on the table, feel his skin against hers, make that connection with him but she refrained from doing so; this really wasn't the place to do that or even to talk about this but she really wanted to know. She wasn't really sure how this had affected him; was he overwhelmed, indifferent, appalled? Or was he lost in a storm of emotions as she was? Seeing her baby today had been a mixture of joy, awe, excitement - but it had also been tinged with sadness for the child she had lost. For Molly. How her daughter would have been so excited by this, how she would have loved to have had a brother or sister. It was a sadness that she didn't want to force on him. "Any ideas on how to break the news?" she asked, changing the subject back to something that they still hadn't agreed upon.

Gene, mouth now set in a even line, watched her closely; he had seen the same sadness just then that he had witnessed at the hospital and he knew she was thinking of her daughter again, even if she wouldn't admit as much. They both had their secrets. He sighed deeply, letting the air out slowly as he turned his thoughts to her question. Whilst he didn't care what the reaction would be - though he would deal with anyone who bad mouthed Alex over this - he didn't want people to know either. There'd be questions; questions he still didn't want to answer, even though he now knew many of the answers. In the past it had been easier to keep his private life just that: private. With Alex it was different; she was his DI and his lover and whilst he could – just about – keep the two roles separate they were inextricably linked. And she was _their_ DI too, he had to share her with them, eventually he'd have to share their news as well. He leant forward on both of his arms and whispered quietly, "I could stand on the table and just tell everyone that I knocked you up?"

If he hadn't smiled then, if his eyes hadn't shone, she'd have seriously thought about reminding him how painful her left hook could be. She leant forward too, getting closer to him, and not letting him deter her. "We have to say something, Gene," she said quietly, her voice even, and he nodded but his eyes fell to the table top. They'd put this off for as long as possible and, whilst she had been happy to go along with that in the short term - just in case something went wrong - the weeks were flying by and this morning's appointment had shown that everything was progressing nicely. Plus, she'd finally stopped throwing up so weight gain was next on her list. "It's probably safe to tell people now," she pursued, causing his eyes to dart quickly back to hers.

He nodded his head again, reluctantly this time. He knew three months was the magic number, the safety zone as it were, but he also knew that until the baby was born and screaming its lungs out, nothing would convince him that everything was 'safe'. He couldn't admit that to her or to anyone else for that matter. But she was right. Again. Not telling people would probably cause as much upset as telling them would. He supposed he could just stand up and announce it. Or maybe send a memo around the office. Pin something up on the notice board. Or just give Granger the nod and let her do it.

"The Guv's pregnant?"

Gene glanced quickly to his left at the unmistakable sound of his DC to find a rather confused looking Christopher staring back; seated at the same table, both Ray and Shazza seemed to be holding their respective breaths and staring his way too, the latter looking slightly embarrassed. WPC Granger had been the way to go then. Gene shook his head, partly in disgust, partly in annoyance; only Chris could've managed to blurt out that sentence in a busy, noisy restaurant at the exact moment a natural lull in volume had occurred, effectively managing to break the news to the whole of CID and most of Luigi's other customers. But when he looked back to Alex she was smiling, trying to keep herself from laughing out loud - she had the strangest sense of humour but her smile was always a welcome sight. He knew the eyes of the entire department were on him, on them both, waiting for a response, and she was apparently leaving it to him. "Oi, Luigi!" he shouted without taking his eyes off Alex, and probably a little too loudly as the entire room had remained silent, thick with anticipation now rather than chatter, "Got any champagne - preferably Bollinger - behind that sorry excuse for a bar of yours?"

"Are we celebrating, Signor Hunt?"

He couldn't miss the hopefulness in the Italian's voice. If he could tear his eyes away from Alex he couldn't be sure of finding the same reaction amongst his team. "Yes, we are," Gene replied, aware that his tone made it sound like an order rather than an invitation but he didn't care. If they all had to know, then they _were_ going to be happy about it - at least for tonight. "Me and Bolly are going to have a kid," he confirmed, finally allowing a smile to return to his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Glad people liked the last part - and there was me feeling bad for treating Chris (yes, I know he's not real) like that. I'm not entirely happy about this one - the Bank Holiday completely screwed everything up for me - but here goes...

Snapshot Eight

"Well?" Gene asked, sounding more confident than he felt, and turning a little in his seat, resting one arm on the steering wheel.

Alex gazed at him for a long beat, trying to figure out exactly what she was supposed to be reacting to. He had virtually manhandled her into the car earlier - well, he would have manhandled her if wasn't being so damn protective of her. If she thought she'd dampened that protective streak before she'd been wrong; it was back with a vengeance and what was worse, he seemed to have roped most of CID into it as well. The more noticeable her bump, the worse he had become. And he'd refused to say where they were going. Not even when she'd asked for the third time and he'd replied that telling her would 'spoil the bloody surprise' - at which point she'd admitted defeat and stopped. He was still being rather vague now. "About what?" she asked finally, causing his expression to change from expectant to exasperated.

"The house," he said, pointing out through the passenger side window of the car.

Following his directions - which he'd given as if it was the most obvious thing in the world - she gazed out to her left, to the building in question: a neat, well kept, house, one of many on a tree lined street. "It's a house, Gene," she said turning back to him and only then, when she'd witnessed the reaction to her words on his face, did the proverbial penny drop.

"It's not Buckingham Palace," Gene growled, unable to keep his voice even, "But I figured, since you're pregnant but won't marry me, it might be best if we at least live together!"

She hadn't realised he was hung up about the whole marriage thing; they hadn't discussed it since that night, the night he'd proposed, but he'd seemed happy with her answer back then. The subject hadn't arisen again until a few weeks ago when they'd finally 'come clean'; well, were forced to come clean thanks to Chris. Was marriage suddenly back on the cards because everyone now knew? The inevitable questioning had started not long after the congratulations and it had been Ray - of all people, because she was expecting it to be Shaz - who had broached the subject by offering his services as 'best man' in a manner that really wasn't kind to herself. Gene had brushed the question off, rather harshly she had thought but, then again, nothing that Ray's comment hadn't deserved, and no one had dared bring it up again. "I didn't say I wouldn't marry you," she said, sighing softly.

Gene turned his gaze quickly to the road ahead, avoiding hers. He hadn't meant to speak so sharply to her but she appeared completely unimpressed by all the trouble he'd went to and everything that he'd planned to do, and say, had just vanished. So he stared ahead. He'd wanted to do this for her, for them. To show her what she, what they, meant to him because the words were so bloody hard to say. But finances had constrained him, making him painfully aware of how very different they were and in so many ways. And wondering if those differences would be too great.

Alex tried to catch his eyes but his gaze was lost to the quiet street ahead, his face set hard. She had been expecting him to refute her words but he seemed to be letting it go - was there something else going on in that head of his? He was so infuriating at times, always had to take charge, always had to make the decisions. And now he was making her feel like she was at fault. "And I didn't ask you to buy a house," she rebuked, her voice rising to match her frustration and annoyance with him.

"It's my job to provide for you!" he hit back, matching her tone and meeting her gaze once more, seeing the same fire in her eyes that he knew was currently pulsing through his own. She was so bloody infuriating at times. She might not have agreed to marry him but she had admitted to loving him and, to his own surprise, that had been a good enough trade off. He really couldn't see the problem; she loved him, he loved her - they were going to have a kid, going to be a family. And a family needed a home. His place wasn't big enough and there was no way in hell his child was going to grow up above a bloody trattoria. Problem solved.

"I don't need providing for," she retaliated, trying to rein her voice back in but failing. She saw the spark in his eyes diminish with her words before they fell to the floor of the car and she knew she'd hurt him, a swift left hook just as round one had started. She should have expected this really; it was an alpha male response and that was Gene in a nutshell. And it was the norm for him to avoid his feelings, hiding behind gestures instead - and this was a pretty big one. The proverbial penny dropped for the second time in minutes. He was nervous about her reaction to the house; whether it was because he'd went behind her back or the actual house itself she couldn't be sure - maybe it was both but she'd put money on the source of his mood being that he didn't think the house - and therefore himself - was good enough. Twenty-first century thinking and decades of feminism begged her not to let him get away with this, even if he was being quite sweet, but she crumbled anyway - she could blame it on raging hormones if her psyche ever tried to call her on it. Sliding her hand across the divide between their seats, she found his, clenched into a fist and resting on his leg. She worked the gloved fingers free with surprising ease, squeezing his hand when she had opened him up, his eyes now on their hands. In this world, however it had come to exist, she really did need him; in this world she'd always needed him. And he'd always been there for her. "I just need you, Gene."

He softened at the tone of her voice, meeting her gaze, relaxing a little at the reconfirmation of her feelings as he allowed the faintest of smiles to grace his lips as her eyes smiled back at him. Maybe her initial response had been because he'd surprised her and he'd taken it completely the wrong way. Not that he was going to admit to that - and she probably wouldn't make him either. Maybe they could make this work. "Well, I come with the house."


	9. Chapter 9

Snapshot Nine

With one hand on her growing belly she used the other to feel along the top of the box, flipping the lid open when she got to the corner. She knew what was inside but took another look anyway, wondering if she should just put the thing together herself. It wasn't beyond her by any means, though she was feeling tired, but Gene would disagree, especially as she'd already spent the afternoon painting the room - even if it was just to piss him off. He hadn't wanted her to carry anything - or actually do anything other than make him cups of tea - all day and they had argued over it, an argument she had ended by picking up the nearest box to hand and storming off upstairs with it. Truthfully she'd known the box had been quite light but she'd been lucky really; the more he coddled her the more she fought - and she worried that one day it would end badly. There hadn't been much to move into the house anyway; she'd arrived in this world with only the clothes on her back and a warrant card - the few clothes she did have had been 'borrowed' from a dead woman and no longer fit.

"You okay, Bols?" he asked quietly, finding the source of the smell that had invaded his nostrils as soon as he'd hit the stairs painted on the walls. She'd done a good job on the room, he had to admit, and he felt guilty for walking out but annoyed that she had done it alone. He wouldn't tell her either of those things though.

She jumped a little at his voice as she hadn't heard him come back in - his departure, some hours ago now, had been an altogether louder affair. It took two to argue, she knew that, but he didn't seem to. At least he was making the first move this time; probably sensible on his part as she was fast losing patience with him which really wasn't a good start to their first night in the house. She stared at the box silently, ignoring him for now; she'd took Gene, rather reluctantly on his part, with her to choose the cot but he'd not been much use and had just agreed with her choice. The small bubble of excitement that had been building inside of her since she'd found out she was pregnant was now beginning to spill over, especially now she had felt her baby's first, fluttering, movements but she had yet to feel the same enthusiasm from him. She was starting to wonder if he really wanted all of this. Her other hand was still resting low on her stomach as she finally answered: "I'm fine - no boxes fell on me, I navigated the stairs without falling down and even managed to paint the nursery."

Gene pursed his lips and sighed softly, biting back the sarky comment that involved her and stairs; he wanted to make this right, not worse. But she was obviously going to make this as hard as possible for him and he supposed he couldn't blame her - he kept trying to wrap her up in cotton wool when he knew she only struggled against such binds and against him. He stared at the back of her; she didn't look pregnant from behind but he knew that if he took the few steps towards her that were necessary he could slip his hands around her waist and disprove that illusion. He'd done so many times before but he had a feeling she wouldn't allow it right then. She wanted something emotional, not physical which was a shame because he was so much better at the latter. "It's... hard to not treat you differently," he admitted slowly.

"I'm pregnant, Gene - not made of China," she said harshly as she turned to face him. "I'm not going to break."

"You don't know that!" he started, his voice louder than he'd wanted it to be. "You don't know..." he tried again, softer this time but he couldn't quite finish the sentence.

"I don't know what, Gene?" she asked, her own voice dropping in volume as she watched him closely, his eyes so clear and open that she could almost see into his soul. Almost. "Tell me," she urged, wanting to hear what it was that he'd been unable to say for so long and hoping she wouldn't regret doing so.

He dropped his gaze, her voice was soft but demanding and he couldn't put this off any longer. She moved closer to him, narrowing the gap between them and he could see her swollen belly, one of her hands resting gently under it. His earlier statement had been true; it was hard, even harder to tell her why. He met her gaze once more, her eyes still imploring him to tell her and he knew he had to, had to rake up feelings that had been pushed down so far, for so long. But he didn't have to tell her everything, just enough to make this right. Just enough so that she understood why even if he didn't really understand it himself. "We couldn't have kids, me and the ex. Well, she couldn't," he began as he dropped his gaze downwards again, "She lost them, early on... she never got this far." Reaching out he let one hand rest on her stomach, emphasising his words.

"Oh, Gene," she murmured softly, the rawness in his voice scraping through her, and she moved her hand to rest on his. She'd had no idea and she felt somewhat ashamed that she'd never really asked him directly if he'd had children instead of just assuming he hadn't because he never talked about them. There'd been one time, back at the beginning when they had constantly butted heads, when he'd bristled at the mention of children and lack thereof but she'd never pursued it - not then and not even now they were together and expecting their own child.

"Doctors were bloody useless, couldn't tell us why, we eventually gave up," he finished, pulling himself back together and hoping it was enough. When he found her eyes again he was met with only with understanding and love, not the pity he so feared - a fear that had kept those terrible times a secret in him for so long. And it seemed it was enough for her: he wouldn't have to admit that, as his ex-wife had blamed herself, he had thrown himself into the job - and usually the pub thereafter - unable, and not knowing, how to cope other than with drink; he didn't have to tell her that a small, illogical but resentful, part of him _did_ blame his ex-wife and probably always would; and he didn't have to tell her that their losses had torn them apart, that he'd let it eat away at the marriage until there was only a shell left, a marriage that he'd stuck with more out of a sense of duty than love. He didn't want her to know any of that.

She held onto his hand more tightly, her free hand reaching up to his cheek. She wanted to tell him that nothing was going to go wrong but it would be a lie - and he'd know it was. There were no guarantees in life, even in the one that she'd somehow conjured up in her head and that seemed as cruel as the real world was. She leant up and kissed him gently and quickly on the lips. "I'm not going to do anything that would risk losing our baby. You've got to trust me on that."

He nodded once but then thought better of it; he was supposed to be making this better not keeping more secrets that could backfire on him. It should have been easier now, now that she was just about half way there, to get used to the idea but that hadn't been the case. Now it just felt like he had more to lose. "I don't know if I can, Alex," he admitted sadly and he winced inwardly at her crestfallen features; whoever said that honesty was the best policy was a bloody liar. "But I promise you I'll try to," he said with conviction. If he didn't he was in danger of losing her and the baby anyway - and she was the best thing to have happened to him in a very long time, unplanned pregnancy included. She nodded softly at his words but her grip on his hand loosened and he knew that he had, and that they had, a long way to go. But he was more determined than ever to make sure they got there.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Thanks to everyone who left a review last time around - sorry for the delay in updating. Erm... a little bit off the G/A course again here, I guess.

Snapshot Ten

"Signorina Drake looks very happy," Luigi commented as his, until quite recently, best customer pulled out a seat at the bar.

Gene looked back to the woman in question, sat in the corner of the room with Shaz, smiling and laughing with her, and he had to agree with the proprietor: she was positively glowing, as the saying went. He hoped that Luigi's inference was right and that it was down to him because he had being doing his utmost to live up to the promise he had made to her. It did seem to be working; thanks to his admission – the one he had been so wary of telling her - they had become much closer though he felt that, in some way, he had marred what they'd previously had. At times it seemed to him that there was something missing, like a chip on a Ming vase or a fleck of paint lost from a masterpiece; something that from a distance wasn't noticeable but was there all the same.

He turned his head back around and nodded at Luigi, an unspoken acknowledgement passing between them. Last year, after that tragic car bombing, Alex had been fairly miserable - that had been obvious to everyone. He'd wanted to help her but he hadn't had a bloody clue how to, stuck somewhere between being her DCI and her friend - and that'd only been apparent to Luigi. And it had been the other man's advice - unsolicited and grudgingly accepted of course - that had allowed him to help Alex and had ultimately lain the foundations of their current situation.

"But me, I am sad," Luigi confessed.

"Why's that then, Luigi?" Gene asked with a sigh, knowing that if he didn't the conversation would continue on without him anyway. He might as well look as if he was contributing - he owed the man that much at least, not that he particularly wanted to hear someone else's woes. He lit up a cigarette as he settled into his seat – a concession she had practically forced upon him and one which, given his previous, almost militant, behaviour he couldn't really argue his way out of; he suspected she _was_ right and that it wasn't good for the baby – or her for that matter – but he did wonder if she was exacting some form of revenge in the process. At home, and that was a word that always seemed to make him smile these days, he was banished to the bottom of the small garden at the back of their house which, now the weather was starting to turn, was not a pleasant prospect. When Ray had discovered that piece of information and had dared to pass comment, Gene had made him -and the others too - follow suit; if he was going to have to suffer, they all were.

Luigi poured out a measure of whiskey, smiling as he completed his task. "You have stolen my beautiful guest away," he elucidated, eliciting a small smile from the other man. He had to admit that he hadn't thought those two would ever submit to the attraction between them, an attraction both he and his wife had picked up on - though she thought he was an 'old fool' for interfering, only amending that to an 'old, romantic fool' when he had, to both of their surprise, actually succeeded. "And you Signor Hunt? You are happy?" Luigi asked genially; something in the detective's demeanour suggested otherwise and his years of experience behind a bar made lending an ear an automatic response. Besides, he cared for these two people and he felt just a little responsible for them too. He received a curt nod in response as the other man took a sip of his drink. Ignoring the cue to drop the subject, Luigi pressed on, "And everything is okay with the baby?"

"Yes, everything is fine Luigi," Gene confirmed, not wanting to go into greater detail. It was becoming his standard answer now but it was more than fine, if he was being honest. Their child was thriving inside of Alex, just as she'd promised; in fact the baby's endless movements were, he suspected, beginning to drive her just a little crazy but he would never tire of feeling their baby challenging its confines. The first time it had happened he'd been completely caught off guard. He had been watching her through the glass of his office, covertly of course because he wasn't supposed to be, when she'd started slightly, releasing her grip on her paperwork and a hand falling to her stomach. He'd been so concerned that he'd forgot to look away when she'd glanced at him, a small smile on her lips - a sight that had eased his fears somewhat. She had indicated for him to follow her as she'd struggled to stand up, heading off towards the kitchen area. He'd obeyed her silent instructions with a weary sigh, expecting an argument about his surveillance of her but when he'd entered the kitchen, and they were subsequently alone, she had taken his hand and placed it across her belly, the faint tremor from inside just about distinguishable. She'd been able to feel their child for some time but for him it had been a kind of awakening; he knew his smile had been as wide as hers at that moment and right then, as they had shared something so very special in the most mundane of places, he had finally managed to convince himself that everything was going to be okay.

"And you tell her you love her everyday?"

Gene shrugged, a little annoyed at Luigi's continued forwardness - there was a limit, even if he did owe the man - and took a long puff on his cigarette. He briefly wondered when this had had happened, when exactly had Luigi become his confidante? Probably around the time that Alex had walked into his life because until then, things had been a great deal simpler. But he had also been a great deal lonelier. Anyway, it wasn't as if he could talk to Ray or Chris about these things – they were as bloody clueless about women as he was, despite their assertions otherwise. "Not in so many words," he finally admitted, taking another quick drag. Luigi was right but she knew how he felt, didn't she? He had shown her how he felt, wasn't that enough?

"Never? " Luigi asked, shaking his head in surprise; he never understood why it was so difficult for the men of this country to profess their feelings. Every woman deserved to hear those words, at the very least once, especially the lovely Signorina Drake. "Ah, but you must tell her! You Englishmen..."

He didn't hear the rest of that sentence – though he could guess its direction - as he realised Luigi had put his finger on that elusive missing piece: he did love her, more than he ever thought himself capable of loving anyone, but he had never told her so – for all his honesty he had done them both a great disservice by holding back on that piece of information. He tuned back in just in time to hear Luigi finish his speech, which was pretty much back where it had started.

"You must tell her," Luigi concluded.

Gene looked back to her, avoiding Luigi's knowing - and maybe a little scathing - gaze and took one last drag on his smoke before stubbing it out. She must have felt his gaze because she raised her head to him and smiled, holding his eyes even as Shaz carried on talking to her. Luigi was right: he needed to tell her. How had he not told her? It was so simple, so obvious. Abandoning the last of his drink he strode determinedly towards her; he was going to take her home, tell her how much he loved her and then - well, there was no harm in, once more, showing her too.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N Apologies, once again, for the time taken to update. Thank you all for the reviews for the last chapter.

Snapshot Eleven

"They're football players, aren't they?" She'd initially been impressed that he'd actually thought about names without any prompting but when the list had continued, and they had all been boy's names, she had become suspicious; she might be heavily pregnant and awash with raging hormones but she was still a detective.

"Not just any players," he justified, a little put out that she wasn't even contemplating his suggestion, "League Cup winning team." That had been a great cup run - beating United in the fourth round had been a particular highlight and he'd lorded it over Sam Tyler for some time afterwards.

She sighed but with a smile: she couldn't imagine Gene being so so keen on the idea back - or should that be forward? - in 2008 when most teams had a fair amount of foreign players, and therefore foreign names, on the teamsheet. "Why didn't you say so earlier? That makes it perfectly okay," she said dryly. The faint smell of beer that resided on his breath floated by; though she certainly hadn't asked him to refrain from going to Luigi's with the team now that she no longer had the energy to - but it would be fair to say she'd be as pissed as he was drunk if he had continued with the long boozy nights out - they seemed to have come to some sort of unspoken compromise wherein he stopped off for a couple and then came home, usually with something to eat. He was living up to his promise, and so much more, and it gave her hope, certainty even, that they could make this work. When he remained silent she wondered if he had missed the sarcasm in her voice or was deliberately ignoring it and was taking her seriously. From her position on the sofa, propped up both against it and him, she couldn't really be sure without craning her neck backwards to look at him and she was far too comfortable to do that. "You want to give our child eleven forenames? And what if it's a girl?"

"Ten," he corrected, as he discretely altered his position against her; he couldn't really complain about her using him as an extra cushion - it was probably more than his life was worth if he did anyway - as he knew she was far more uncomfortable, and for much longer, than he currently was. "Two players had the same name," he continued earnestly, pleased that he had moved unnoticed, "And we're having a boy."

"You don't know that, Gene," she warned gently. She almost hoped they were having a boy because she wasn't sure how she felt about having another daughter. And she wasn't sure how Gene would cope with a little girl either; he'd probably be either the most over protective father in the world and their daughter wouldn't be allowed to date until she was thirty - if at all - or she'd wrap him around her little finger and end up getting away with murder.

"You don't know that I'm wrong either," he argued softly. He'd love a son, partly because he'd be unfairly outnumbered if it was a girl, partly because kicking a ball about in the garden with his boy was an image that had been floating around his head ever since she'd relegated him out there to smoke.

She smiled again, rubbing a hand over her ever increasing belly. With just over a month to go she was at the point where she just wanted the baby out and the pregnancy over with. As if in response she felt a defiant thump from within and she reached for Gene's hand without a second thought, directing his palm to the area under attack - an action that had become familiar between the two of them. She could now feel him grinning against her cheek, a smile that was becoming a somewhat regular appearance - if only in private - and one she was starting to adore. She almost retracted her earlier thought, wishing instead that they could stay like this forever. She hadn't imagined it would be like this all those months ago when she'd fallen pregnant and had worried about telling him. She hadn't imagined that _he_ would be like this; able to keep up the gruff 'Guv' persona but to also open up to her - it may have taken a great deal of patience and understanding on her part but it - he - had, without a doubt, been worth the effort.

"Going to play for City," he whispered into her ear. It could have been a knee or an elbow for all he knew - Alex had one mean left hook so it could have even been a fist - but he couldn't help but tease her further. Whichever way it went, boy or girl, his main objective was to not be anything remotely like his own father. Happily that bastard was long dead but it was a shame that his mother had passed too; another reason for him to have made the journey down south but one that also left his child without any grandparents - without any family at all for that matter, besides himself and Alex. They did however have a 'family' of sorts in the people around them; blood wasn't necessarily thicker than water. "I think Luigi is angling for an honourable mention in the name stakes," he said with that thought, recalling his earlier conversation with the bar owner which had actually prompted this little discussion about names. "Is there something you need to tell me, Bolls?" he growled low into her ear and she laughed in response.

"No," she reprimanded, giving the arm that was snaked around her middle a playful slap at the suggestion, "But people do name their children after the places they were conceived and we did spend a great deal of time in my flat..." She wasn't seriously considering calling their child after an ageing Italian bar owner but if he could suggest an entire football team then she could play that game too.

He considered her reasoning for a moment but he'd never heard anything so bloody stupid; surely, if that was the case, there'd be more kids running around named after cars. Good job they'd never tested out the back seat of the Quattro though there were other places... "Well, there was that time in my office," he smiled, thoughts of the evening that they, albeit she unknowingly, had acted out his doodle entering his head. Even now he found it hard to look at his desk without getting... well, hard.

"I don't know how I let you talk me into that," Alex complained lightly but her brain was already calculating the dates – something she hadn't previously bothered with. Though she couldn't be exact there was the distinct possibility he was on to something.

"Didn't take much convincing as I recall," Gene smiled, kissing her cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N So... this'll probably be the last part. Still, twelve chapters is not bad considering this started off as a one-shot, is it?

A/N 2 Apologies once again for the time taken to update. Big thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review, especially those who did so consistently; your encouragement and feedback was always appreciated and usually had the desired effect.

Snapshot Twelve

Gene sat in his office absently flicking through the sport pages; it was preferable to the pile of paperwork that littered his desk but his mind wasn't even on the paper, it was on her. He missed her around the office; her brains, her wild theories and outlandish ideas. He missed the arguments, the bickering, the solving cases together. He just missed her full stop. Before she'd gone on leave he could barely remember how it had been without her on his team and he didn't like this, now constant, reminder. And, of course, he worried about her; though he was glad she was no longer putting herself in any kind of work related danger, he could no longer keep a surreptitious eye on her. That morning he'd left her half asleep in their bed; she'd had a restless night, more than usual, so he'd gently kissed her good-bye with a murmured promise of going home for lunch - mostly so he could check up on her. If she was suspicious of his motives she never mentioned it. But lunch was more than an hour away.

"Cup of tea, Sir?"

He glanced up at Shaz's voice to find the WPC holding a mug in one hand and a plate of biscuits in the other: pink wafers and Garibaldis. He was thankful for the interruption - the girl was a mind reader at times and he really needed to find her a better role within CID. "Ta," he said warmly but without smiling.

Shaz unburdened her load on the only gap she could find on the Guv's desk but rather than leaving straight away she hovered, a little unsure and a question hovering just as uncertainly on her lips. DCI Hunt gave a gesture that suggested she should spit out whatever was on her mind or leave so she plumped for the former. "I was thinking of calling round to see DI... Alex after work - would that be okay?"

Gene frowned slightly at the question. He'd never, in all of his career, invited colleagues into his home - they were entirely separate entities. But now it wasn't just his home, it was Alex's too, and that line between work and home was becoming ever thinner. Letting Alex into his life meant he had to make sacrifices elsewhere - whether he liked them or not. And obviously Shaz was being mindful of the changing situation. He was saved from answering by his phone ringing and as he picked it up, he indicated to Shaz that she should stick around; he'd have that chat with her about her future in CID.

"_I don't want you to worry, Gene - but it's time._"

Her voice was eerily calm but it did nothing to prevent the sudden spasm in his stomach that her words had caused. As his heart struggled in vain to escape through his ribcage, the resulting blood flow required for such a procedure almost deafening, he managed to eke out a reply: "Now?" It wasn't time now - they still had two weeks to go. This couldn't be good, could it? All the very worst thoughts, all the fears, that he had tried so hard to overcome now reared their ugly heads once more making a mockery of Alex's suggestion not to worry. What had they said in those bloody classes she'd dragged him to and why hadn't he paid more attention instead of just making jokes that had made Alex laugh but had resulted in them being asked to leave. Taking a deep breath he tried to do what she had asked and not worry; she seemed calm enough and she'd been through this before.

"_Yes, now. The contractions started a while ago but I need to get to the hospital now._"

"What?" Gene shouted incredulously down the phone, his surprise and concern swiftly replaced by an anger that even shot down those ugly, dark thoughts, banishing them back to where they belonged. "Then why didn't you bloody tell me sooner?" That spasm in his stomach twisted violently as he continued on, knowing that it wasn't helping but unable to stop himself. And he was far too distracted to notice the attention of his team that his raised voice had suddenly garnered.

"_I'm telling you now, Gene!_"

There was an anger to her voice that he'd never heard before, one that was almost primal in its tone, and he knew it wasn't just his words that had caused it - though his reaction had probably not helped matters. She needed him and all he could do was shout at her. "I'm on my way," he said as he stood, hanging up after she had, somewhat sarcastically, thanked him. Christ, the birth was going to be a nightmare; now he knew why she'd been so adamant that he be there - she was going to make him pay. Make him pay for knocking her up in the first place. Make him pay for being such a selfish bastard at times. Make him pay for not having to carry their child for months on end and then have to endure labour too.

A discreet cough from the other occupant of his office drew his eyes away from the phone. He found Shaz staring innocently at him from the other side of his desk, far too polite - or maybe too afraid - to ask the question that was so obviously on her lips. A cursory glance through the windows of his office found similar expressions upon the faces of his team. "She's having the baby," he confirmed quietly to Shaz, a wave of calm gently, and finally, washing over him with the words and a smile creeping onto his lips: this was it. Alex might shout and scream at him from the moment he stepped into the house to pick her up and continue on until the baby was out; she might squeeze the hell out of his hand (he'd have to make sure it wasn't his darts hand) just so he could experience every excruciating moment with her; and she probably had a hundred other demands in store for him - but it'd all be worth it.

Shaz smiled quietly to herself; she'd never seen the Guv like this before - was this what Alex saw in him? "Then you'd better go, Sir," she prompted eventually as her boss stood there with possibly the stupidest - and maybe the only - grin she'd ever seen plastered on his face.

He drew himself out of his thoughts at her interruption and nodded in agreement, straightening out his smile in the process. Grabbing his jacket, he hastily slung it on and stepped outside of his office, taking a few steps before completing a U-turn that the Quattro would've been proud of and heading straight back inside. Grabbing his car keys from Shaz's proffered hand with a muttered thanks, he retraced his steps. "Raymondo, you're in charge - don't screw up!" he bellowed at his acting DI as he headed out of CID.

"Yes, Guv," Ray shouted confidently, his eyes finding Shaz stood in the doorway of the Guv's office; his first duty, he decided, would be to find out what had just happened.

Gene barely heard Ray's response as he was already out through the double doors, leaving them swinging behind him, and his thoughts were decidedly somewhere else. Everything was going to change. Nothing would ever be the same again. Some people might say, and he knew a couple of his team would agree (though never to his face), that his life was now over but he would disagree; it felt as though his life was, finally, beginning. He was going to be a Dad. And he couldn't stop himself from smiling once more.


	13. Epilogue

A/N Ok. This is definitely the end. Really. It's so sickeningly sweet (my teeth are rotting as I speak... er, type) that you're not going to ask for anymore. This (last part - honest) is for everyone who asked so nicely for more; obviously I can't please everyone...

Epilogue

The music may have been loud but at least it was slow enough for her to talk Gene into dancing. Well, dancing of sorts; his body pressed against hers, his hands had long since strayed to her arse and were evidently staying there. With her own hands around his neck they gently swayed to the music, just a little more obscenely than all the other couples around them. It would probably be as close to dancing as Gene ever got yet she didn't mind - it was a very public display which, for Gene, was nothing short of a miracle. He couldn't really turn her down - after all, today was a very special day: a wedding day - but when he'd tried to, the promise to make it worth his while later on had soon won him around.

"Happy, Bols?" Gene asked, loud enough for her to hear above the music but quiet enough for their conversation to remain intimate, even if their actions, well, mostly his actions, were causing people to stare. At least this way everyone else knew that she belonged to him.

Alex raised her head off his shoulder to catch his eyes and found the glimmer of a smile on his lips. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Shaz and Chris, dancing slowly amongst the other couples. In the distance, over Gene's shoulder, she could see their son being entertained by Ray - or was that the other way around? The large venue had been suitably adorned and those not currently dancing were seated at the many tables around the floor, some faces familiar to her, others not. "Yes," she replied finally, meeting his eyes once more.

"Don't wish we'd ever gone though all of this bloody rigmarole?" he asked, holding her eyes. Quite frankly he'd been glad they hadn't - today had been a long, and at times boring, day but he'd noticed Alex gazing almost longingly at the bride and groom and he wasn't sure if there was a tinge of regret in there or not. And she'd blubbed of course - why did women cry at weddings? - which hadn't helped in his assessment.

"No," she answered truthfully, the thumb and forefinger of her right hand reaching for the ring on her left behind his neck, her thoughts drifting to the day he had slipped it onto her finger. Considering that she had sworn never to marry again it still surprised her that, taking advantage of that Leap Year loophole, she'd been the one to propose - even if, technically, he had asked first. It had surprised her even more that he had said 'yes' then whisked her off to the Registrars at the first available day. They may not have married in a church, invited half of Essex to witness the event, and then held the reception in a hall big enough to house the other half of Essex - as today's bride and groom had - but, in all honesty, it'd been one of the most memorable days of her life. Just as today would be memorable for Shaz and Chris; it'd took Chris long enough to ask in the first place and then even longer for Shaz (because Chris just went along with whatever she decided) to plan the big day.

Gene nodded his head, convinced by her reply and let a smile briefly cross his lips as the song came to an end. "I believe the deal was one dance," he reminded her as the DJ began to introduce the next track. He didn't want to be caught out on the dance floor with anything remotely 'poppy' playing - whatever reward she had promised him - but he still hesitated in moving, enjoying the closeness he was sharing with his wife far too much. She leant up and kissed him briefly on the lips, using his slight surprise at her action to slip from his grasp. She always managed to surprise him in some way but he supposed it was because he'd actually opened up and let her in, leaving himself open to attack but finding that it never came. Not with her. He let her take his hand and gently lead him back to their table without any resistance and that small smile still playing on his lips.

"You two finished?" Ray asked, trying to hide his distaste; seeing the Guv and Drake groping each other was as unpleasant as seeing such actions from his own parents and, with that thought in mind, he'd tried his best to shield the boy from it - he didn't want the lad to have nightmares. "That tasty blond's been giving me the eye," Ray followed on, brightening up at the thought - and sight - of the woman across the hall. Throwing the blond a smile, and not waiting for a reply from his colleagues, he stood up to make good his escape but a small voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Are you going to eat her, Uncle Ray?"

Ray looked down to find the youngster staring innocently and expectantly - and maybe a little worriedly - back at him and he realised what he'd said. "Er..." he began and turned to his DCI for help but only found those same blue eyes, if a little colder, glaring back; there was no denying that the boy was the Guv's son, not that he'd ever dare suggest such a thing. Not even in jest. He glanced to Alex, his last hope, but she was smothering a grin as she took a seat. He was on his own. Which, under normal circumstances such as a car full of armed blaggers or an axe-wielding serial killer, he'd have been fine with but this was a bigger challenge. This was worse. "I just meant... She's..." The three year old only frowned up at him as he struggled for an explanation that didn't actually involve explaining what he'd meant.

"Uncle Ray just means he likes her," Alex chipped in, no longer able to watch Ray's discomfort - no matter how much fun it was. "He's not going to eat her," she smiled reassuringly across at her son but she did momentarily wonder who Ray was referring to because, as far as she knew, Shaz had warned her family and friends all about Ray Carling and Chris' side were already well acquainted. She hoped Ray's brief baby-sitting duties hadn't persuaded any woman otherwise; some men wore paternal very well - Gene certainly did but she might be ever so slightly biased in that respect. But he had surprised her - and she suspected he had surprised himself too - in the way he had taken to fatherhood. He'd been her rock during the birth, which her warped psyche had decided to make as arduous as possible, even as she'd called him every name under the sun. And whilst all the pain had been worth it to have her baby boy in her arms, it'd been the overwhelming love and pride that had shone in Gene's eyes as he'd held their baby for the first time that had sealed the deal for her.

Ray cleared his throat, ruffled the boy's, almost white, blond hair and excused himself, ignoring Gene's hard gaze as he passed by his superior. It wasn't his fault, not really; usually Shaz would be the first to volunteer to look after the nipper - dragging that div Chris with her - but she had been otherwise engaged. Or was that now otherwise married? He shook his head at that thought as he walked away; you wouldn't find him settling down and getting married though, worryingly, it did seem to be catching.

Gene shared a knowing grin with Alex once Ray had gone; they both blamed the other for their son's fierce intelligence and unrelenting inquisitiveness and had long since learnt to be very careful of what they said when he was within earshot. In the seat next to her their son smiled angelically up at him and Gene's own smile softened. With his feet barely reaching the end of the chair, white shirt that had been pressed that very morning but was now rather crumpled and only half tucked into his trousers, and pink tie (the bride's choice, all the men involved in the wedding had to wear them; the groom hadn't put his foot down on the matter which had resulted in months of - almost - good-natured verbal abuse towards Chris) askew he looked more like a little imp than a cherub but Gene didn't think he'd ever get used to the swell of feelings he experienced when he was with his boy. He didn't think he wanted to either. There was nothing else like it.

Rather than take the seat Ray had just vacated he scooped his boy up instead, swinging him around as he did so, causing a ripple of laughter to explode from the child's mouth which, in turn, reaped an approving smile from his wife. A smile - a look - that burned through him. Would it be rude to leave this early just so he could shag his wife? Probably. Sitting down he set his son down on his lap, securing him with one arm whilst the other reached out to his side, his hand finding and coming to rest on Alex's thigh, his eyes upon hers. Maybe another half hour and they could sneak off. The boy had run himself ragged earlier that afternoon and if Gene drove home slowly enough - as his son just bubbled with excitement when he screeched around corners in the Quattro, much to Alex's displeasure - he would fall asleep (a method that had been discovered when he was a baby) and Gene could have Alex all to himself.


End file.
